Pro Carton Young Designers 2025 Award winners announced

Recognising the best young design talent in Europe, the winners were announced by Horst Bittermann, Pro Carton’s Director General, in front of an audience of packaging industry leaders. This ceremony featured awards in four categories:

• Creative Cartonboard Packaging (Food & Drink)
• Creative Cartonboard Packaging (All Other)
• Sustainability
• Public Vote Award

Over 950 entries were received from many institutions across Europe. These were reviewed in detail by a judging panel that represented the entire packaging value chain. Satkar Gidda, former Sales and Marketing Director of SiebertHead, headed the jury, supported by Sanjeev Das, Unilever’s Global Packaging Director in the Foods and Ice Cream business; Lotte Krekels, Head of Packaging at Carrefour, Heidi Vanspauwen, Marketing & Communications Director at Van Genechten Packaging and Jens Uhlmann, Innovation Director BU B+PC at MM Packaging.

WINNER OF CREATIVE CARTONBOARD PACKAGING FOOD & DRINK:

GletscherEis by Barnabás Varga

COOL IN EVERY WAY

Institute: University of Pécs Faculty of Music and Visual Arts
Lecturer: Lotte Budai
Country: Hungary

This project reimagines a Tyrolean classic, GletscherEis fire liqueur. The goal was to preserve the product’s strong character, while refreshing its visual identity with a more modern, refined look. The packaging concept adds further depth to the brand story, with a silhouette that resembles a carved block of ice and a striking red interior represents fire. This creates a bold contrast that hints at the liqueur’s flavour and spirit. To elevate the experience, the gift box also includes two shot glasses, enhancing both its practicality and appeal as a premium gift item.

WINNER OF CREATIVE CARTONBOARD PACKAGING ALL OTHER:

Padon Period Pads by Jule Schelletter &
Meret Fischmann

Multi-Functional Packaging

Institute: Münster School of Design
Lecturer: Prof. Steffen Schulz
Country: Germany

Created with both practicality and empowerment in mind, this project rethinks period product packaging as something functional, thoughtful and sustainable. The design features a clever flip mechanism – one side discreetly stores used products, while the other reveals new ones. Additionally, the outer box doubles as a sleek dispenser through a simple perforated flap, making it ideal for home use, especially in small bathrooms. Visually, the packaging features a clear design with bold graphic printing. It champions the idea that packaging should work with you, not against you.

WINNER OF SUSTAINABILITY:

Felicia by Sebastian Jaworski

Eliminating Plastic

Institute: Politechnika Bydgoska im. Jana i Jędrzeja Śniadeckich
Lecturer: Anita Szymankiewicz
Country: Poland

This alternative packaging concept for Felicia Cosmetics explores a more sustainable direction for the beauty industry, one that eliminates plastic use entirely without compromising on functionality or aesthetic appeal. Using significantly less material than conventional cosmetic packaging, the design helps to increase output per production cycle and reduce manufacturing time. Visually, it embraces minimalist simplicity and demonstrates how sustainable choices can align with high-end brand values – proving that less really can be more.

WINNER OF JUDGES’ AWARD:

Tensum by Elena Ghețu

Bold and Cheeky

Institute: University of Arts and Design – Cluj-Napoca
Lecturer: Paul Cheptea
Country: Romania

Tensum is an alternative concept for condom packaging that brings a bold and cheeky twist. Shaped like a miniature book, each red page reveals a condom paired with a flirtatious message. The design encourages playful interaction as users flip through the book. Crafted entirely from recycled materials, the minimalist black cover keeps things discreet and understated, while the vivid red interior hints at something more daring. Sparking conversation, this design shows that safety doesn’t have to be boring.